The cost of insuring our cars is still the top motoring money worry for Irish drivers. Almost one half, 47 per cent, of Irish drivers have seen their premiums rise in the past 12 months.
Not enough of us shopping around for cover
In spite of which, we are too often still not taking the basic advice of shopping around for insurance. While 30 per cent of us, according to Carzone.ie's research, will do so, 40 per cent have been with the same insurer for three years or more.
Fuel and servicing costs also raised
The price of fuel is also, not surprisingly, a major additional concern. 17 per cent of survey respondents put that as their biggest motoring cost worry, while ten per cent said that the cost of maintenance and repairs was a big worry for them. 41 per cent said that their overall motoring costs have gone up in the past year, and 35 per cent said that they spend between €200 and €300 per month on general running costs, including insurance, tax, servicing and fuel.
We're actually equally as keen to shop around for a new car as we are for new insurance. 31 per cent said that they change their car every two to three years. In spite of the new NOX tax on imports, 58 per cent said that they're still prepared to shop for their car in the UK market, and of those 82 per cent said that the better value on offer across the water (or north of the border) was the driving reason.
Importing from the UK too much hassle?
Oddly, 63 per cent said that buying from the UK was too much hassle (a venn diagram that we can't work out either), while 35 per cent said that there was more risk involved in buying abroad, and another 35 per cent were worried about the cost of Vehicle Registration Tax (VRT).
Commenting on the latest report, Karl Connolly, Audience Manager Carzone said: "Our latest Carzone Motoring Report is our eleventh edition, where we examine trends and changing behaviours of Irish motorists. The research highlights the financial concerns of Irish motorists and confirms that insurance premiums are still a top concern, with half of the respondents seeing their premiums increase in the year."